Overcoming the Anti-Hero Trope
by churtoil820
Summary: Your typical Quirk!Izuku AU, but there is an added plot at the beginning, and I kinda shuffled everything around because I need more Class 1-B interactions. - Honestly, Izuku's quirk isn't really the main focus. Cause that's a rare pair, right there. Oh, and you should probably not read this because this will be terrible, and it's my first time writing.
1. Introduction

_~~~FLASHBACK~~~_

 _"Who is that?" asked the green-haired six-year-old, pointing at a huge poster with a large muscular man in a hero costume, sporting two distinct bangs standing up over his chiseled face._

 _"That's the number one hero, All-Might!" an exuberant little girl answered. "I saw him on the news the other day, saving people and beating up all of those wicked villains."_

 _"Oh, wow. He sounds super awesome!"_

 _"Yeah, he is." An older kid agreed. "He's actually quite popular too. I'm surprised you haven't heard about him, Izuku." He looked down at the young greenette._

 _"My mom and dad never liked talking about anything hero related." Izuku replied, crestfallen._

 _"Add to the fact that this town is lame and boring as hell," said the little girl, rubbing Izuku's back in sympathy. "We don't even get any villains around here. Maybe if there was a villain here, All-Might will show up and beat the devils out of them." She wondered, excitedly._

 _The older kid nervously scratched his head, "I think we would be better off without any villains in our town." He glanced, guiltily, at Izuku's dejected expression. "As entertaining as it is, it's kind of a waste of time. Besides, if you guys really want to see All-Might in action, we can go to my house and watch video tapes of him there."_

 _That got Izuku's attention, and the older kid smiled._

 _"I would rather go for the real thing," said the little girl. "But I would never pass-up on watching villains getting pummeled." She exclaimed, swiftly punching the air._

 _The older kid looked at the, now excited, greenette, and ruffled his curly hair. "You up for it, Izuku?"_

 _"I'd love to!" he answered with renewed vigor._

 _~~~FB END~~~_

Staring out of the car, the sunrise can be seen illuminating the vivid landscape of rich open fields, snow covered mountains, and clear river valleys. Although it would have been delightful to take a moment to stop the vehicle and enjoy the view, the ten-hour drive from Akita to Shizuoka is not one to be delayed, especially since it has not been long since their recent stop.

Hearing rumbling sounds from the back of the vehicle, Midoriya Inko, a slim green-haired woman, looks up at the rear-view mirror to see the green curly-haired ten-year-old waking up from his recent slumber.

"Good morning, Izuku." she greeted.

"Morning, Midoriya-san." He lazily got up from his sleeping position, yawning.

"How are you feeling?" She questioned, looking back at the open road.

"I'm feeling alright. A little sore, but I'll be fine."

She chuckled, "Sleeping in a car isn't really the most comfortable place to rest, and I apologize for that." She smiled, with a hint of sadness, "Do you want to grab some takeout for a while? We still have a long way to go."

"Yes, please."

She ends up buying them breakfast at a fast food drive-thru. The entire trip was a bit boring, but peaceful nonetheless. It was around evening when they arrived at Inko's apartment, and Izuku was thankful to her as she helped him carry his heavy luggage.

As they enter the apartment, she showed him his own room, revealing a decent sized space with a normal sized bed, some shelves, and a working table. "This will be your own room, Izuku. I've set-up and cleaned the place already." She watched him look around the room, as she opened the casement window, revealing to him the cityscape of Musutafu. "If you need anything, you just have to ask. For now, I'm going to cook dinner for the two of us."

Enthralled by the vibrant city lights, framed by sheer brocade curtains, he looked back at her with teary eyes and a sad smile. "Thank you, Midoriya-san."

Inko returned a caring smile, an unspoken conversation between them. She stood by the doorway, glancing at the city lights, scattered like stars, resembling the freckles that littered on his tired face. She left the room, leaving him to unpack his belongings.

After dinner, both of them ended up watching television in the living room. Eventually, Izuku ends up falling asleep on the couch, right beside Inko. She carried him to his own room and tucks him in bed. "Everything is going to be okay, Izuku." She kisses him goodnight.

The muffled sound of the television in the living room, contrasts the peaceful snoring of the green-haired child.

~~~O~~~

 _Tokyo Broadcasting News_

 _March 12, 2017 - 10:25pm_

 _Recent reports of the Akito Massacre discovered that the group known as the Atsako Cartel, a popular group of entertainers working at the Akita carnival  
_ _was responsible for the horrific, indiscriminate deaths of more than a hundred residents, leaving zero survivors._

 _Currently, there has been no information on the motives of these criminals since the ringleader of the group, and mastermind, Atsuhiro Sako managed to  
_ _escape. The police have been taking heavy criticism for this failure, as further investigations are being conducted._

 _~~~O~~~_

As the heat of sunrays touches skin, Izuku woke up from his peaceful slumber. Taking in the sight of his new room, showered with morning light, he would have almost panicked if he hadn't realized that he was now living with his aunty Inko, since the past few days did came as a blur. He then got up from the bed and prepared himself for the day until he realized that Inko was nowhere to be seen, but before he could worry, the front door opened.

"Oh, Izuku. You're awake," said Inko, carrying two heavy paper bags through the door.

He rushed to help her. "Good morning, Midoriya-san." He greeted, taking the paper bags from her tired arms, placing it on the kitchen counter.

"Good morning to you too, Izuku. I went ahead and bought some food from the store while you were asleep. I would have invited you to come with me, but I didn't want to wake you up."

"I'm sorry. I wish I would have woken up early to help you carry the groceries."

"No need for that. I was just worried that you would have been lonely here by yourself," she said, placing the last produce in the fridge. "Now let me just go ahead and prepare our breakfast."

She ended up preparing Oyakodon for the two of them, while he helped her out by setting-up the table. It was a peaceful start to their day and Izuku felt right at home.

After Inko finished eating, she looked at Izuku, who is still halfway in his meal. "You know, it's almost the start of school this upcoming April. I've already gone ahead and enrolled you in an elementary school, just a few blocks from here. If you want, we can go out later so you can look around town. We can even pass by the park. A lot of kids your age often play there."

He seemed hesitant at first, but. "I'd love that." He agreed anyway.

-O-

Inko was showing Izuku around town. Eventually they arrived at the park, which was filled with parents and children. Even Inko saw her friend sitting at a bench under a tree, watching over her own son from a distance.

She approached her with Izuku right behind her. "Good morning, Mitsuki."

The spiky blonde woman looked at her, a smile instantly appeared on her face. "Oh my god, Inko. It's been a while, how are you?" She greeted, hugging her dear friend.

"I'm fine, I just got back from Akita, with Izuku here." Inko glanced at him.

"Oh, this is _him_." Mitsuki looks down, meeting shy emerald eyes. "Hello, Izuku." She smiled, waving.

Inko stepped aside so that Mitsuki can see his full form. "Izuku, this is Mitsuki Bakugou. She is a good friend of mine. We've met each other at work, so you can definitely trust her." She happily said.

For a few moments, he observed Mitsuki. She has a youthful complexion, which goes well with her spiky-blonde hair and bright red eyes, and she was definitely taller than Inko. If it weren't for her jovial attitude, she would have come off as bossy, or even aggressive.

"Hello, Mitsuki-san," said Izuku.

Mitsuki couldn't stop herself from pinching his cheeks. "Oh, you're so adorable. You should meet my son. He is a bit hard headed though but I'm sure both of you will get along."

As if he heard her saying his name, a younger version of Mitsuki appeared with three kids in tow.

"Hey mom, were going to go back to that place behind the school, alright?" The younger blonde asked, pointing at the back of an elementary school.

Mitsuki stood straight, crossing her arms, her jovial attitude now replaced with authority. "Why in the hell do you kids want go there exactly?"

Her son rolled his eyes, "It's just behind the school you old hag, and it's going to be fine!" he snorted.

"Don't call your own mom a hag, you little brat!" She angrily shouted.

The younger blonde was about to retort, until he noticed green curls back away from the irritated mom, "Who the hell is this?"

"Katsuki, be nice!" Mitsuki scolded. "And this is little Izuku." She stepped back so he can see him. "He is Inko's Nephew–."

"He's my son!" Inko said, abruptly cutting off Mitsuki, who is now staring at her with confusion, together with Izuku. She nervously scratched her head, "Izuku, why don't you go and play a bit with Katsuki and his friends, while Mitsuki and I catch up," she suggested nervously.

Mitsuki slammed her fist on her open palm in agreement, "That's right!" she said, noticing her friend's change in mood. "Katsuki, why don't you and your friends go on ahead, and bring little Izuku along with you" she asked. Although the younger blonde was about to refuse, she cut him off with a threatening smile, "All right?"

Katsuki felt a chill go down his spine but nervously played it off, knowing that refusing won't do him any good. "All right fine, c'mon…uhh, what's your name again?"

"Izuku" he shyly informed, looking between the two moms, wondering if this was a good idea.

"All right, stick with me so you won't get lost," said Katsuki, confidently leading the way with four children in tow.

-O-

When the four children disappeared in the distance, Mitsuki looked at her friend, "All right, Inko. What was that? You told me Izuku was your nephew, but then you're suddenly saying he's your son?"

"Mitsuki," Inko started, "right now I can't afford anyone to know about what happened to Izuku." Her eyes, downcast.

"What do you mean?" Mitsuki looked at her, concerned. She offered her friend to sit on the bench, to which she accepted.

Inko paused for a moment, deciding if she should tell her anything. Making up her mind, she chose to trust her friend. "Have you recently heard the news about the Akito massacre, and how there were no survivors?" The blonde nodded, "The truth is, there is one survivor. It's just that the police asked the media to not make it public since it might put that person in danger especially since some of the criminals involved in it manage to escape," she explained, exhausted.

The blonde's eyes slowly grew in realization. "Wait, do you mean that Izuku is…" she whispered, not wanting for anyone to hear, even though a lot of the people are far away.

"Yes," Inko answered. "He was that one survivor. I was called in by his caretakers days after to take care of him since my sister is no longer..." She mourned. "And Now, I'm the only living relative Izuku has."

Tears dropped on the open grass, overshadowed by the tall bare tree.

-O-

The five children were walking past the school, stumbling upon a broken fence, that Katsuki and his friends were too eager to pass through, mentioning something about _killing,_ and _enemy._ Izuku was a bit reluctant at first but eventually followed.

Katsuki marched on, leading the pack of children. "So, Izuku. What can you do?" He glanced at their newcomer.

"What do you mean?" asked Izuku, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I mean, this." Katsuki fired off an explosion on his right palm. "What's your quirk? Mine is explosions."

"Oh, umm." He scratched his head. "Why do you want to know?"

"What do you mean why- Just answer the damn question!" shouted Katsuki, sternly. When he received no answer from him, he smirked. "What's wrong? Parents didn't have a good enough quirk for you?" The other children snickered.

Despite feeling a surge of anger within him, Izuku decided to suck it up and ignore the blonde's insults. "Well, I can kind of teleport?"

"Was that a question?" A chubby kid whispered amongst the others.

"It's just that, I've barely used it at all. So I don't really know a lot about it," explained Izuku.

"Why would you not want to use it, it sounds so cool. That's definitely a quirk of a hero," said the kid with the long-fingered quirk, earning him a sharp glare from Katsuki.

"It doesn't really matter." Izuku shrugged, kicking a piece of rock down a mud pile.

"Tsk, it's still not as awesome as my quirk." Katsuki showed off, crackling mini-explosions on his palms. "I can beat anything up. I'll even beat up all the villains and become an even greater hero than All-Might."

"Yeah! Katsuki has an amazing quirk. He'll definitely be a great hero." A black-haired kid praised along with the other children.

Izuku frowned at that.

-O-

Mitsuki is currently rubbing her friend's back in sympathy, "I promise not to say anything to anyone."

"Thank you, Mitsuki. I really haven't talked to him about the entire thing yet. I'm afraid he might distance himself again." Inko looked away for a moment. "Or worse," She inaudibly whispered.

"Are you going to take him to therapy?"

"Well, he's still just a child. I'm not sure if I should, but the hospital that took care of him at Akita told me he was blaming the heroes for not being there, and arriving too late. They did recommend that I should take him to therapy for it."

"Inko, after everything that happened. Maybe taking Izuku to therapy may be the best course of action here." Mitsuki reasoned.

"I'll probably have to. I'll talk to him first though"

Mitsuki patted her on the back. "Just so you know, I'm here if you need any help" She smiled at Inko, who returned it kindly.

-O-

The five members of the _Bakugou Hero Agency_ , as Katsuki dubbed them, marched towards a narrow river, a single mossy log connecting the two banks. The group was busy talking about fighting villains while Izuku trails at the back of the group.

"-and Tsubasa can fly Katsuki in the air so he can throw explosions at the villains."

"Idiot, Katsuki's explosions blow up immediately on his skin," said the chubby kid.

"Well, why don't he just put all his sweat in a bottle, or something, then throw it at the villains. That could work, right?"

Katsuki was twitching in annoyance. "I don't need anyone's help! All of you can just sit back and watch me kill all the villains," he berated, firing off an explosion in the air.

"You know, heroes also need help. That's why we have Izuku. He can teleport us away if we ever need to run away and–"

Katsuki cut him off, crossing his arms. "Idiot, heroes don't run away from anything. I can beat all of them by myself."

Izuku stopped walking. "I'm not going to be a hero," he said, rather bluntly.

Everyone stopped in their tracks, all turned to him, dumbfounded.

No one made a move. Silence loomed over the group. Only the intensifying sound of rushing waters can be heard.

Izuku sighed, kicking a large sturdy branch into the river. "What I mean is that I don't want to do anything related to heroes or villains," the branch got stuck between isolated rocks.

"What? Why would you not want to be a hero?" the black-haired kid asked.

"I don't think heroes are as great as everyone thinks they are," he looks down with an unreadable expression, not noticing their leader twitch in anger. "Honestly, I'm not really sure what heroes are even supposed to do." He shrugged, nonchalantly. "Maybe they're just fakes."

Suddenly, a loud explosion went off, startling the other children. Katsuki rushed towards him, gripping Izuku's shirt, aggressively. "What the fuck is wrong with you, hah! Heroes are the best! They literally have to risks their lives just so extras like you don't get killed by a fucking villain!" He said, glaring at half-lidded dull-green eyes. "If it weren't for them you would have been dead by now."

The branch snapped in half.

Dull-green eyes, gone, replaced by angry dark ones. He swiftly turns Katsuki around, pushing him off so hard that the startled blonde's face slammed on the cold hard ground with a vague marking on his back.

The angry greenette gripped his fists in anger. "Heroes are pathetic! Each and every one of them are all too busy competing with one another, flaunting off their quirks, they don't even notice the people who are in danger." He shouted, glaring at the furious blonde, who was now getting back up with a threatening glare. He continued, "I mean look at _you!_ Just because of your _quirk_ , you convinced yourself that you're going to be a hero. That having a flashy _quirk_ is enough to make _you_ a hero!" He glanced at the frightened kids. "Even these guys believe that you deserve to be a hero," all of them stared at the ranting greenette, frowning. "Just because. Of. Your. _Quirk!_ " He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, "But what they don't realize is just another selfish brat, who thinks that he's better than everyone else!" dark-green eyes glared at enraged red ones, "You're just. Like. _Them_."

After a bout of silence,

Katsuki abruptly fires off an explosion on his palms, startling the other kids, except his intended target. "You take that back you worthless extra!" He rushed towards him with crackling palms, "I'm going to kill you!"

Suddenly, with a flash, the greenette disappeared. Katsuki paused for a moment until he finds himself on the ground once again. Pinned down by his target.

"You think you're so amazing just because you have a powerful quirk," he said. With an unreadable expression, he started to slowly bend both of the blonde's arms above his head. "But if I break both of your arms now, do you think you still have a chance to be a hero?"

That sent a chill down Katsuki's spine.

"Wait! Stop what are you–" one of the frightened kids shouted, but before they could finish, Katsuki blew up with a powerful explosion, causing his clothes to have burns and tears.

As the blond got back up, he noticed that the greenette is no longer anywhere near him. Instead, he was now standing back where he was before, giving him a sinister glare. The blonde was about to rush at him, but one of the extras held him back. "Wait, Katsuki, don't! If his mom finds out, we're going to be in big trouble." The blonde wants to argue that the other was the one who almost took it too far.

"And besides, he's crazy. Who knows what he's going to do to us."

"Tsk, I'm not afraid of him, but whatever. He's not even worth my time," said Katsuki, shoving off his friend's hand away, annoyed. "He's just a worthless extra." He repeated. "Yeah, that's it, he's a fucking Deku! So just go back to your mom, _Deku_ " He said in spite, crossing the log with the other kids, eager to leave the greenette, who is already walking back to the park, alone.

"Maybe the reason why he doesn't want to be a hero, is because he wants to be a villain," One of the kids whispered.

"Yeah, that was scary."

-O-

"What have I done?" Izuku looks down at his palms, bearing separate symbols, "I almost broke another kids arms just because I was..."

When he got back to Inko and Mitsuki, both questioned where the others children are until he told them that they were still playing around, and he just got a bit tired and wanted to go home.

"I guess it is about time we head back," said Inko, standing up from the bench she and her friend was sitting at.

"Well, I'll see the both of you next time. Take care." Mitsuki waves them goodbye.

~~~O~~~

In the evening, Izuku and Inko were having a peaceful dinner until Inko noticed that Izuku was still acting moody, for a reason unknown to her.

"So, Izuku," she started, "what do you think of the city?"

"It's fine," he said without looking up from his plate.

She looks at him, concerned. "What about the park? With Mitsuki's kid, Katsuki. How did that go?"

He contemplated a bit, wondering if he should tell her about what really happened. "Well, we did talk a bit at first. Then we…" Not having the guts to tell her the truth, "It was okay." He lied.

She noticed his reluctance but decided not pry. "Okay. At least you're starting to meet new people, especially since you might end up in the same class together." He choked at that, receiving a weird look from her. When he remained silent, she continued, "Anyways, there is something that I want to talk to you. It's about therapy."

That got his full attention. "What? I don't need that. I'm completely fine."

"I know that Izuku, it's just that after everything that happened, I was wondering if…" She twiddled her fingers.

"Please don't, Midoriya-san. I'm over it, I can't…" He pleaded.

"Its okay Izuku. If you don't want to, it's alright. I was just suggesting it and I wanted your opinion." She explained, ending their conversation in an awkward silence.

After a while, the two of them were cleaning the dishes, until Izuku remembered what he almost did to Mitsuki's son. As much as he tried to convince himself that it's not going to happen again, he knows that he's just lying to himself.

"Umm… I think I'm fine with going to therapy."

"What? What made you want to go?"

"Well, the thing is that you were right. Everything that happened to me, still affects me in a way," He scratched his head in discomfort. "I don't want to end up hurting someone just because I refused help."

She got a bit worried at that, but did not want to question him further. "That's nice to hear Izuku. I'll try and look for a therapist as soon as I can. For now, I want you to know that if there is anything bothering you, or anything that you want to talk about. I'm here to listen."

"Thank you."

Putting the last plate on the rack, he washed his hands and was about to head to his room until, "Oh, I almost forgot," He realized. "Why did you told Mitsuki-san that I was your son when we were at the park."

Her posture stiffened, "I almost forgot about that," She chuckled nervously. "Well Izuku, I was thinking that maybe it's a good idea if we don't tell people that you…" She motioned to him, hoping he would understand her meaning. Without any response from him, she explained, "About your past, basically. Especially since the villains might come back and try to hurt you."

He shivered at the thought but he understood what she meant. "I understand. So does this mean that I should start calling you mom?"

That caught her off guard, not expecting him to ask that at all. "Well, if you only feel comfortable about it, I guess you should, but that was not what I was trying to say." he furrowed his eyebrows, "I was hoping that maybe you should use my last name instead. Especially since your starting school here in Musutafu."

He nodded, "Yeah, I think it's a good idea for me to use your last name instead." He agreed, she smiled back in gratitude.

~~~O~~~

 _ IMPORTANT: WHAT HAPPEN IN AKITO?  
__Discussion on the Akito Massacre, Japan Heroes and Politics. Started by Ikudarou, March 13, 2017._

 _I understand how distraught everyone is, and I do sympathize with the families affected, but I want to know one thing. Where were the heroes! All the  
News sites just talks about the suspects, victims and, the police. Not a single one talks about the heroes that responded to the incident. Who and where  
were they? Were they killed? Did they not arrive on time?_

 _Were there any heroes at all?_

 _~~~O~~~_


	2. Atsako Cartel Arc - Part 1

_April 12, 2020_

 _AKITA, Japan – In the next upcoming days, it will be about three years since the "Akito Massacre". The mastermind responsible for the crime has not yet been captured._

 _Takashi Horu, a police from the Akitakeni Police Headquarters, claims that the case is still ongoing and they have been working alongside different heroes, from multiple sectors, to discover the whereabouts of the leader and mastermind, Atsuhiro Sako, and other villain organizations involved._

 _Furthermore, in related discussions, police admits that further information is being withheld to the public, for the sake of investigation and sensitive information. Police Sergeant Hakuba Katsunari has this to say:_

" _If further happenings takes place, a board interview will be conducted for the media and the public, for now the heroes and police asks for the public's trust, and assures that they are working non-stop to solve the case." - Police Sergeant Hakuba Katsunari_

 _\- An old news article from 'The Japan Times'_

 _~~~O~~~_

During this time of the year, the cherry blossom trees that decorate the streets of Musutafu are in full bloom. The swift afternoon breeze occasionally swipe the falling cherry leaves with elegance and grace, in contrast to the loud honking of various vehicles, rushing footsteps of numerous pedestrians, and the different steadfast heroes and sidekicks patrolling the area. This just proves how beautiful and busy the streets of Musutafu really are.

The green curly-haired student of Aldera Junior high, Midoriya Izuku, is currently walking home for the weekend. The past three years he has been living here in Musutafu was, in one word, stressful. The city is a lot more lively compared to his former town, and not to mention the villain attacks in this city is quite spontaneous, albeit petty at times, especially when that one villain, who has some kind of strength enhancement quirk, ended up rampaging on the streets just because he was cornered by the police, for stealing an old lady's purse.

Although, villain attacks are mostly chaotic and life threatening, it is nothing compared to what he has to deal with at his school. The explosive, annoying, arrogant, self-centered blonde, _Bakugou Katsuki_ , has been his classmate in each and every year up to date. His attitude is downright trash and he often gloats by using that loud explosion quirk of his whenever he has the chance, and the weirdest part of it all was how he calls everyone around him 'extras' as if he was some kind of story protagonist. Honestly, it would not have been surprising if their classmates assumed that he was insane or delusional.

Luckily, Izuku is already used to avoiding the explosive blonde, but that does not mean that he was a coward. He wouldn't mind taking him on, only if it weren't for the fact that the other students and adults were bias when it comes to him. Basically, it's either lose to Katsuki and be humiliated, or beat the shit out of him and get detention, or expelled, depending on the teachers mood. This led the blonde to resort to name calling and even bringing up that dastardly insult of Deku, more so when he discovered what his written name looks like. Even his classmates believe that he was a Deku especially since he had no intention on showing off his quirk to anybody, which led them to believe that he is not only useless, but also quirkless.

There are moments when one of his classmates does go to far. Although, it is worth knowing that even though Izuku just ignores their insults, doesn't mean he is a push over. Its only if that person ends up going physical. That's the moment he gets a chance to take a hit at them. The thing is, Izuku does not start a fight. He just adds fuel to the flames and when it goes off, that's when he retaliates. Some even consider him a manipulator because of this, even borderline calling him a villain. But he knows his limits.

Speaking of villains.

"Over there!" a bystander shouted.

"That's a huge villain!" That got the attention of everyone in the plaza.

The moment police officers arrived, a barricade was placed a couple of meters from the villain attack. The villain, who was standing on the rail transit, ripped out a steel support beam and threw it at the onlookers. Luckily, Death Arms, the punching hero appeared and caught the projectile before it caused any harm. Eventually, Kamui Woods and Mount Lady arrives to help detain the rampaging villain, much to their audience's amusement.

Izuku watched the scene with disinterest. Witnessing hero-villain fights has become the norm for him since he lived in Musutafu. More so with the over glorification of heroes that comes right after every incident. That is something that he still can't bear to see, no matter what his therapist says.

With a lazy yawn, he decided to leave until he noticed two shady figures in the distance, carrying what seem to be two unconscious children, as they sneak passed, unnoticed, by the distracted heroes and police officers.

Witnessing their suspicious behavior was enough to convince him to at least approach one of the police officers.

"Excuse me, miss. I saw some guys–" The police officer cut him off, swiftly turning her head in his direction.

"Kid, you need to stay back, otherwise you're going to get in the heroes way!" she reprimanded, blocking two persistent Kamui Woods fans, both screaming at the top of their lungs.

"But I saw two children getting kidnapped!"

"What!" The officer was wide-eyed. "Did you see where they went?"

"Over there," he pointed. "By that alley."

"Alright, thanks kid. I'm going to call for assistan-," one of the fan girls accidentally elbowed her. "Hey!" she shouted, turning her back on Izuku. "Alright, every one of you needs to stay back. May I remind all of you that this is an actual operation and we need all of you to-"

The officer kept on scolding the crowd.

Izuku looked back at where he last saw the kidnappers, and was worried they may have already gotten away.

~O~

" _You need to hide here son."_

" _But dad."_

" _Shh..It's going to be fine. No matter what happens, don't come out of there, alright?"_

 _..._

 _Sounds of Muffled Screams._

 _~O~_

For some reason, Izuku feels a weird sense of responsibility towards the victims. After a few moments of waiting, it got the best of him and he ran towards the alley.

When the police officer noticed him running, she shouted at him, but he was already too far away.

When Izuku arrived at the alley, he felt a strong sense of unease, the two buildings that make up the dark passage loomed over him with intimidation. Adding to the eeriness of the environment, is a lone blackbird staring at him from atop the establishment. He shook the feeling off, and sneaked in, hoping to catch up to the kidnapers, but the further he went, the darker it got.

Eventually, he managed to catch a glimpse of two dark figures in the distance. With a sigh of relief, he noticed that they were wearing black hoodies and black party masks to conceal their identity. They were just about to put the last unconscious child in, what he assumes, their black van.

He needs to think fast.

He grabbed a broken metal pipe on the ground and left a familiar vague marking, where his right palm once was. He sneaked closer to the vehicle, trying not to be found out just yet. While the two was distracted, he swings the pipe with full force, barely managing to knock out the person. What he didn't take into account though is the loud bang that came after.

"What the fuck!" The other kidnapper shouted, sliding the van doors, closed. As she went to check up on her partner, she found Izuku with a metal pipe in hand, standing over her knocked out accomplice. "You fucking brat!"

Izuku, wide-eyed, steps back in fear. She towered over him, even from the distance.

"You want to play hero, huh? Fine." She was fast. She took the metal pipe from his scrawny hands and smacked him in the face, the edges of the metal pipe, leaving a bloody gash over his right eye. He would covered his eye in pain, if it weren't for the sudden blow in his stomach, right where she punched him with full force, the metal pipe, thrown far away. She lifted him up by the shirt, and threw him at a pile of trash.

It seemed that most of the contents of the garbage bags were fragile glass, because it left Izuku with chunks of broken glass stuck on his arms, legs, and his now aching back, all preventing him from moving without feeling excruciating pain. Unfortunately, at this moment, the unconscious kidnaper chose to wake up, while the other released her sharp claws, ready tear him apart, limb from limb.

"Too bad for you kid. Heroes don't always win." She threatened, a feisty grin on her face.

Before she could claw at the panicking teen, a sudden bright flash blinded her vision, he was gone. "What the fuck! Where is he?" She said, glancing left and right.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Her partner got up, dazed. "And my fucking head hurts like hell."

"Shut the fuck up, and look for him!"

"Who!"

"That green haired brat! He was the one who hit you on the head, because you were being fucking careless."

Suddenly, the sound of falling trash cans was heard in the distance. That's where they spotted him.

"There you are, brat." The clawed kidnapper approached.

"You're not the only one with a quirk." Her partner suddenly burst with numerous spikes. Both prepared to rush at Izuku.

Izuku is sure that this was the end. Writhing in pain, in a dark alley, at the age of thirteen. If he even bothered to move around, the shards of glass stuck all over his body would definitely rip his skin to shreds. The clawed woman would probably be grateful for it.

But before anything could happen, the two criminals, unintentionally retracted their quirks.

Not knowing what happened, they panicked.

"What the fuck!"

"I can't get my claws out!"

Suddenly, a dark figure drops on them, knocking them both out with a swift kick. The newcomer was a tall slender man, wearing yellow goggles and an all black outfit with some kind of bandage cloth, acting like a scarf, wrapped around his neck, which he is currently using to immobilize the two knocked-out criminals.

Izuku was astonished, but afraid at the same time. He chose to remain still, until yellow goggles faced widened emerald eyes. The feeling of nostalgia flows through him, he doesn't know why.

"Calm down, kid. I'm not here to hurt you." The stranger said, lazily.

"Oh, uhm… Thank you for saving me," Izuku nervously said.

The stranger brought out some kind of phone from his pocket. "Mind telling me why you're out here?"

Izuku was too nervous to say anything, and was still in pain, covering his bleeding eye.

After a moment of silence, the stranger sighed. "I got a call from one of the police officers. They told me that some kid was talking about a kidnapping, happening somewhere at the plaza. Then, she told me, that the same exact kid ran after the kidnappers. All. By. Himself." He raised his yellow goggles, revealing dark tired-eyes. "Mind explaining that to me."

Izuku looked away in nervousness. "I saw those guys take some kids at this dark alley." He looked at the two captured criminals. "I told a police officer about what happened, but she took too long to do anything, so I chased after them–"

"and you thought that you could handle the situation by yourself." The stranger crossed his arms in disapproval, watching him flinch in pain. "Don't worry. I've already called an ambulance, and the police are on their way. Now I'm assuming that those children are in this van, correct?"

"Yeah." Wow, he has shards of glass all over his body, and his savior was scolding him. So much for a hero society.

The stranger opened the van and tried to wake up the unconscious children, but alas, they were out cold. "You mentioned that you tried to do something, I assume you used your quirk." He stared back at him.

"O-oh, no I didn't." Izuku chuckled, nervously.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light. Izuku disappeared from where he was sitting. The stranger was wide-eyed for a moment until he heard a groan from the pile of trash.

"Crap." Izuku tried to remove himself from the trash pile, not wanting to get pricked by anymore shards. "I hate this stupid quirk." He told himself, irritated. When the pain became too unbearable for him to move, he stops, breathing heavily.

Then out of nowhere, the stranger carefully lifted him out of the pile, and laid him down on the ground, next to the captured villains.

"You do understand that there is a law against quirk usage, right?"

Izuku gulped. "Yes, but that's not fair! I did it to defend myself."

"You wouldn't have needed to if you didn't get involved." he crossed his arms.

Izuku grew tense and gripped his fists in frustration.

The stranger smirked, "Lucky for you, you're still a minor. So you won't be facing any charges." He steps away, staring at the far end of the alley. "But we still need to tell your parents."

"What! Wait, I don't–"

"Save it." The stranger cut him off. "For now, just wait there," he said as they hear frantic footsteps, and the sound of an ambulance nearby.

~~~O~~~

Usually, a lot of people would spend their Fridays chilling out and having fun, but that's not the case for Midoriya Izuku. Instead he's wrapped in bandages from head to toe, while being interrogated by detective Tsukachi. Although interrogate is such a strong word, it was more like a simple questioning.

"And that's about it, thank you for your cooperation, Midoriya-kun." The detective stood up from his seat. "But I have to say, Eraserhead is right,"

Izuku looked at the same stranger who saved him, or more like scold him while he bled out at the alley, and was now waiting at the corner of the room.

"You shouldn't go after criminals and start using your quirk to fight, especially without a hero license. Otherwise, you might end up getting arrested for vigilantism in the future." said the detective.

"And what should I have done!" Izuku said, exasperated. "I couldn't just watch those guys kidnap those other children! If I wasn't there, they would have already gotten away," he looked down with an unreadable expression, "all because the heroes were too busy entertaining their crowd." He whispered in spite, which did not go unnoticed by the two adults, especially the tired man.

Tsukachi sighed and looked at Izuku with a smile, "I can understand where you're coming from, but it's important for you to understand that no matter what the situation is, rules exist for a reason, and that is to keep you safe." He glanced at the window leading to the hospital hallway, "And besides, you wouldn't want to worry your mom again, do you?"

At that moment, Midoriya Inko entered the room.

"Izuku!." She shouted with teary eyes, wanting to hug him but couldn't because of his injuries.

"Hey, Midori–Mom," he corrected.

Eraserhead raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, why did this have to happen," Inko said in sadness. "How are you doing?"

"Just a bit of gashes here and there but I'll be fine." He turned to the tired man. "Thanks to him."

Inko wanted to remind him that he was bandaged from head to toe, but refused. Instead, she looked at the tired man and was a bit confused by his appearance at first, "Thank you so much for saving my son."

"It's alright Midoriya-san. Just keep him out of trouble next time," said Eraserhead.

"Of course. Once again, I thank you." She bowed in gratitude, receiving a nod in response.

As the two grown men left the room, Eraserhead turned to the detective.

"Wasn't that the kid from..."

"So you've noticed huh. Based on the descriptions, that should be him. Although I don't believe he was originally a Midoriya though."

~~~O~~~

In a darker part of the city,

Dim flickering lights, illuminating the darkened room of a worn down building. A lone, dusty antique ceiling fan, hanging at the very center, providing minimal ventilation. If it weren't for the cold breeze coming from the broken rusty windows, surely everyone inside would have already been lying on the creaky floorboards, suffocating.

"How frustrating." _Sounds of scratching._

"That's what you get for relying on newbies," said a tall slender masked man. "Now they are onto us, again."

"Enough, you two." _Static._ "There is no point in arguing in what could have been. Otherwise, we'll just tear ourselves apart from the inside."

"But Sensei, what are we going to do now!"

"We have more allies than you think. For now, you need to lay low." _Static_. "While you on the other hand, are going to need to find more suitable...workers for this task."

"So you're just going let me take the heat that this brat got us into," said the masked man.

 _Grumbling, and the sounds of scratching continues._

"Don't misunderstand my decision. I just need another ally on a different part of the board. When the time comes, you'll understand my meaning." _Static._

"Fine, but how am i going to find more capable men?"

"Do not worry, I have someone who can definitely help you."

 _Static._

~~~O~~~

Opening the front door, a loud creaking sound can be heard all over the house.

"Oi, Katsuki!"

He turns to his rushing mom.

"Don't forget to give this to little Izuku, alright?" Mitsuki handed him a freshly packed bento. "I heard from Inko that he'll be coming back to school today so-" she noticed that he was ignoring her. As a result, a whack on the head. "Are you even listening to me!"

"Yeah! I heard you dammit!" He rubbed his head in pain. "Just shut the hell up you old hag, I get it!"

"Don't talk to your mother like that, you brat!" She reprimanded, taking a deep breath. "Anyways, I made that specially just for him," She raised her fists, preparing to strike him again. "so don't you dare eat it!"

She pushed him out of the house, slamming the door in his face.

Katsuki still wanted to argue, but he knows that if he keeps wasting time, he'll be late for school, ruining his perfect attendance.

"Fuck!" he randomly shouted, walking down the public sidewalk. "Now I have to fucking serve lunch to that damn nerd. Who the hell does he think he is, dying and getting everyone worried. He should be getting killed by me, not to some two-bit criminals." He told himself, not noticing the wary glances being sent his way.

He only had a few minutes left when he arrived to class. A lot of the seats were unoccupied, but that is mainly because most of his classmates were standing around, talking with their friends. He examined the room, noticing that Izuku still hasn't arrived yet, but when he did, the bell was already ringing, signaling the start of homeroom.

"Midoriya-kun, you were almost late." scolded their teacher. "I understand that you've just recently recovered, but please don't make this a habit."

"I'm sorry. sensei," said Izuku, rather bluntly. He turned around and went to his seat.

When Izuku faced his classmates, everyone expected his typical stoic demeanor, but what caught them by surprise was the huge scar over his right eye.

Katsuki almost felt a tinge of concern, if it wasn't for the fact that Izuku just acted the way he always does in school, indifferent and inattentive. It seemed that the other was determined to pretend as if nothing happened.

"Tsk, nerd." He mumbled.

Izuku glanced his way, half-lidded eyes.

-O-

The day went on as boring as it could be, that is until their physical education class.

"Whoa, those are some nasty scars," a student whispered.

"There are more?"

"Those look like they still hurt."

"What happened to Deku?"

More and more whispers can be heard all over the male changing rooms. While Izuku remained indifferent towards his classmates, Katsuki was about to burst a blood vessel.

With a loud slam of his locker, Katsuki silenced all of them. Now leaving the changing room, clad in their P.E. uniform.

"Stop wasting time you background characters!" he berated, slamming the door closed.

Izuku glanced at him as he left, rolling his eyes, typical.

When the class finished changing, all were out on the open field of the school's P.E. grounds. It seems their coach was planning something big, because there were various items and props all over the place. Not to mention the announcement of a fitness cooperation exercise, which got all of them to be grouped by fours.

"Why in the hell is Deku on my team!" shouted Katsuki, pointing at the scarred teen, who was rolling his eyes in annoyance.

A tall muscular woman, wearing a two-piece sleeveless jumpsuit outfit, holding a clipboard and a whistle around her neck, appeared right in front of the irate blonde. "Because I'm your coach, and I say so," she turned at the other students, blowing her whistle. "Now be quiet and form a line. All of you!"

Katsuki grumbled something unintelligible. He has Izuku on his team, alongside long-fingers and black-hair. Maybe if Tsubasa never moved away, they wouldn't have to be teamed up with Deku, thought Katsuki.

"All right class, now that all of you are at your respective groups, let me discuss today's activity." Coach glanced at her clipboard. "As you have all noticed, we have all of these exercise materials lying around. That is because our activity for today will be divided into three parts, and each one will test your capability to act as a team."

She walked towards a row of multi-obstacle course. "The first part will be the segmented obstacle course. The track is divided in four different sections, a series of various hurdles to test your agility, a zig-zag balancing bridge section to test your stability, tire stacking to test your strength, and finally, a really long monkey bar section to test your endurance."

The class musically groaned.

"The catch in this one, is that there are four similar obstacle course for each and every member, to be perform at the same time."

"So we're like, competing against our group mates?" a student raised his hand.

"No, you are not," Coach clarified. "Each and every member has to complete the entire course. At the very end, is a timer that has to be pressed, the catch is that the very last person to press the button will be the one to determine the completion time for the entire group." she explained.

"Isn't this kind of intense?"

"It is." Coach said, bluntly. "and all of you have been getting in shape since the start of the year, at least that's what I advised you to do. This will prove to me how much you've all improved." She walked away from the obstacle course. "Now, let me move on to the other two segments."

"There's more!" the class shouted.

"Of course, this part is just to test your independence and reliability." She stared at them seriously. "There's no point of working with someone irresponsible and complacent, that will just bring the entire team down. That is why I implore all of you to do your part, and give it your all, your group mates are counting on you."

She went on and explained the other parts of the activity. The second one wasn't too complicated, a simple tug of war between two groups to test body strength and unity, while the last one was a blindfold maze, intended to test leadership skills and trust.

After their coach wrapped up her explanation, Katsuki glanced at Izuku. "You better not be dead weight, Deku."

"Back at you, Bakaguo." He bluntly said, not even looking at the other.

Katsuki twitched in irritation but remained silent, while their other two members just sighed and shook their heads.

-O-

The first exercise was definitely tough, traversing through all the obstacles and going back to the beginning of each section, for every failure, really ate a lot of time for most students. Although that's not the case for everyone. Katsuki manage to go through the entire course without repeating, receiving the shortest elapsed time out of all of his classmates.

As he waited for his other teammates, watching each and everyone of them, especially Izuku. The scarred teen was having a rough time with the exercise. Falling over on one of the hurdles, losing his balance on the bridge, stopping every now and again as he carried the heavy tires. Despite the impassive attitude Izuku has, he was still weak and scrawny. Katsuki was sure that he will just give up the moment he got to the monkey bar section.

"Endurance training," mumbled Katsuki, "she definitely put it at the last part of the exercise for a reason."

Even he had a hard time, he doesn't expect that Izuku will do any better. In which, he was correct. Izuku struggled to hang tight and fell repeatedly. It would have been amusing to Katsuki if it weren't for the knowledge what the other teen have been through.

When his mom told him what happened to Izuku, he didn't really cared, but when he saw all those scars in the changing room, the aftermath of whatever happened to him. He admits that it was concerning.

Staring back at the scarred kid, whom just fell again, Katsuki rolled his eyes, not expecting he'll make it anymore, but as he stared back, the other just got back up, again and again. As if all of his failure was nothing.

In the end, Izuku pulled through, no matter how many times he fell, he got right back up without thinking, and even though he finished last out of the four of them, it was enough for them to not be in last place compared to the other groups.

Deep down, Katsuki feels a bit of admiration towards the other, but he can't deny feeling intimidated by his determination, which led him to feel frustrated. Shaking off the feeling, he went to regroup with his team.

"That was pretty easy," said long-fingers.

"I thought Deku would never make it." Black-hair whispered, which did not go unheard by the scarred teen, who just frowned and look down.

"Shut the hell up. Both of you are covered in dirt." said Katsuki. He glanced at Izuku for a moment, noticing that he was too busy glaring at the grass. He ignored him, walking towards the next part of their exercise.

-O-

The next test was the tug of war, which was quite difficult. Katsuki's team was struggling.

"Dammit! I'll kill all of you," threatened Katsuki, fiercely glaring at their competition.

"That's not very sportsmanlike, Bakaguo," commented Izuku.

"Shut the hell up!" he shouted, "and put your back into it Deku! I don't plan on losing this."

"Yeah, are you even pulling?" added long-fingers.

Izuku grunted in response. "Maybe some people should stop wasting their energy yelling, and keep pulling."

"The hell you trying to say, hah!" Katsuki reacted.

Suddenly, their group was pulled closer to the mud pile, but not enough for them to fall.

"Damnit!" "Crap!" Katsuki and Izuku said in unison.

The two had enough. With anger and frustration, the two of them stood their ground, gripping harder on the rope, both started pulling back with full force. It was a struggle, but it was enough for them to get a few inches back. Even their teammates were shocked at their effort. Then, in perfect sequence, the two tug the roped in perfect sync, surprising their competition with a pile of mud to their faces.

"Katsuki's group wins" shouted their coach. "Good job you two. See what you can do with teamwork." She was smiling at them, then instantly frowned. "but you barely pulled it off!" She crossed her arms in disapproval. "You two need to get your act together." She looked at the blonde. "Katsuki, you have so much potential. Stop wasting it."

She then turned to the scarred teen. "Izuku, you're performance at the first part was already below average, but I only let that slide just because you were so determined in completing it, even though the odds were against you. However, determination alone is not enough to get you through obstacles." She examined his scrawny figure, "I say, you need more exercise. Have you even been listening to what I've told all of you at the start of the year. No slacking off, Stay fit and healthy, and exercise even at your own time. You can't just let yourself go like this. I suggest you either start involving yourself in a sport, or find a trainer. Otherwise I'll be telling your mom about your performance, and ask her to allow me to train you instead, sacrificing your entire Saturdays" She glared at him.

"Yes ma'am," he grumbled.

"One last thing, I saw what you were doing in the exercise. You getting a rise from your teammate is not something that an ally should do,"

"But it worked though," replied Izuku.

"I know that." Coach stared at him, unamused. "But letting your teammates lose control of their emotions in order to succeed, is not a good decision. They'll become impulsive, and next thing you know, they'll end up getting themselves in trouble. At worst, danger," she lectured. Then out of nowhere, she stared at him with a worried expression. "You wouldn't want to put anyone in danger, do you?"

"No, I would never." he shook his head, surprised by her question.

Suddenly, a loud explosion erupted. "Wait a second, you used me!" Shouted Katsuki, glaring at Izuku.

"What? No I didn't." He shrugged.

"No, you did! you fucking-"

"Enough!" Coach clapped her hands, silencing the class. "Now, we will be finishing the last part of the exercise."

-O-

Despite everything that happened, the final part was a disaster for their team. The blindfold maze proved to be a challenge for them, especially since their coach personally picked Izuku as their leader, leaving Katsuki and the other two members to walk through the maze, blindfolded. Only the words of the scarred teen will guide them to victory.

"God dammit!" shouted Izuku. "I said, walk five steps forward. Not run ahead!"

Screaming at Katsuki without getting scolded was not a privilege that Izuku expected to have, but what he did expected though was the blonde retaliating with his own shouting, mindlessly traversing the labyrinth filled with harmless obstacles and traps. Their other two members were already at the end since they were at least cooperative to Izuku, but the blonde was a completely different problem.

"God dammit, you fucking lied to me!" shouted Katsuki.

"No, I didn't! I ask you to walk, five steps. Walk. Not run!" Izuku stretched his arms in exaggeration.

"Walking would be too slow. Just shout at me when I need to turn!"

Izuku really wants to tell him that he hasn't even been listening to a single word he said.

"Deku! Say something you fuck!"

"Ok, look. If you-"

"I'm wearing a blindfold." Katsuki jests.

Izuku took a deep breath, and a long, annoyed, sigh. "As I was saying. If you really want to win this, I need you to start listening to me. And no! I can't just let you run, because there are traps around that you can fall in, or bump into."

"..."

"Dammit Katsuki, do you want to win this or not! Cause I can just throw in the towel right now and have us lose! Is that what you want!"

"Don't you dare!"

"Future number one hero, Bakaguo. Failed at Physical Education. I can see it on the headlines!" Izuku mocked, not noticing all eyes on their group.

"Alright! just shut up and start giving out orders already!"

"Ok, now listen." He started.

Izuku has to admit, even though the blonde has the most unlikable personality, when he sets a goal in mind, he won't stop for anything until he reaches it, which is definitely something to be admired. Although, he wonders if Katsuki knew about all the other kids who were already finished, and are now watching him.

Whenever Katsuki makes a misstep, either from stepping on a mud-filled pothole or blindly walking into wall, they would snicker and laugh their asses off, as if it was the most funniest thing they've seen.

Now that Izuku thought about it. Despite all the success and admiration the blonde received from their peers and superiors, none of them truly respected or cared about the blonde. Maybe the truth was that nobody really liked him at all. All just too afraid of saying anything because of how threatening he could be, or blinded by the quirk he posses. Granted, Katsuki's attitude is definitely not something to be admired, some might even consider it to be borderline toxic. Hell, even Izuku believe that.

"Oh man, when he gets out of there he'll definitely throw a fit," a classmate whispered.

"You can't deny that it's funny. He is kinda like a panicking rat in there" another, jeered.

"Might as well be a pig from all of that mud." They laugh.

Izuku wonders if Katsuki knew about it. Knew about how everyone truly feels about him, but still not give a damn about what they say.

"Where to, nerd?" asked Katsuki.

With a deep sigh, he replied, "Just head on straight, your almost there."

Izuku has to remind himself to apologize to his coach for using his classmate's emotions again, but if he didn't they would have definitely failed, not that they didn't, because they definitely failed by two seconds from the exit. The class couldn't contain their laughter anymore, the moment the messy blonde tripped after hearing coach's loud whistle, signaling their time was up.

Their other two teammates looked at each other, sighing.

"It's not like we expected to succeed in the first place," said long-fingers. "The moment we got Deku on our team, we were sure to lose."

"Honestly, it's both Katsuki and Deku's fault." Black-hair whispered, then turned around after hearing their coach's whistle.

Izuku just glanced at the messy blonde who used his quirk to silence the class' laughter. He got a glance back, but neither made any comment and just ignored one another.

-O-

After their coach gave everyone their results, some happy, others disappointed, she proceeds to conclude their session with a warning to those who performed poorly, hoping to motivate them to stay fit and healthy, especially Izuku, whom she was definitely was addressing to.

In the male changing rooms, everyone had already left except for the scarred teen and the blonde, who were both finished changing and are now clad in their school's gakuran.

Hearing the sounds of footsteps approaching him, Izuku was sure that Katsuki will start yelling at him after what happened in the exercise, but instead, the blonde handed him a packed bento.

"Uhh..." Izuku raised his eyebrows.

"Dammit, just take it!" said Katsuki, shoving the bento in his chest.

"Is this… Poisoned?" He looked down at the food, it smelled delicious.

"Idiot! The old hag made it for you because you were being a pathetic nerd."

"Sooo...It's not poisoned?" Izuku smirked.

"It isn't, you fuck!" He assured, walking away, annoyed.

Izuku rolled his eyes when he noticed that Katsuki was leaving, "Thanks for the food, I guess, and tell your mom I said thanks."

"Whatever," Katsuki grumbled, though unheard by the other teen.

~~~O~~~

After school, Izuku went home and face planted on the living room couch, exhausted.

"Busy day?" asked Inko from the kitchen as she cooks dinner.

He raised his head from the couch with tired-eyes. "Our coach made us go through hell today."

She chuckled. "You never did like sports."

"No, our coach changed things up." He sits properly on the couch, placing his bag on the coffee table. "We ended up doing a bunch of team building activities."

"Well, teamwork is important. How'd it go?"

He looks away for a moment, squinting at nothing. "Um...It went well."

Inko raised an eyebrow. It's been three years and she already learned about Izuku's mannerisms, especially when he's lying.

"Ok, the truth is. I got paired up with Baka-Katsuki." He corrected.

"Oh, dear" She looked worried. "He didn't give you any trouble did he?" She finished cooking their dinner.

The delicious aroma on their dinner table got Izuku to fix himself up and prep for dinner.

"Not really? Everything went as expected."

"So, he did give you trouble," Inko assumed.

"Well, we kinda failed on the last part of the exercise. We worked well though!" He exclaimed before she could say anything. "It's just that we ran out of time and...failed."

"Oh. Well don't let failure get you down, Izuku."

Izuku looks down, eyes downcast. With a deep sigh he looked at her seriously. "Coach says I need to start training more and get into shape. I also think coach is right...After what happened to me, and how I performed in class." He looked at her, determined. "I want to become stronger.

"Wait! Your not planning on going after criminals again are you?"

"No, no! I was just thinking." Izuku scratched his head. "Even though, the police back then told me that I should not have been involved. I still thought that, if I was in better shape, or at least know how to defend myself, I would not have ended up severely injured."

"Oh, Izuku." She doesn't like where this is going.

"Basically, I want to start training and getting better. Even though I don't have plans to be a hero, I think it's important for me to be able to defend myself. Just for self defense! I'm not planning to go and pick a fight with anyone, promise." He assured her.

The room was silent. The two of them were now sitting on the dinner table, food remained untouched. Inko thinks for a moment. After the few years of taking care of Izuku, she learned what it meant to be a parent. She grew attached to him, not wanting to see him miserable and lying on the hospital bed again. She silently apologizes to her sister for not being there for their son in those dangerous moments. She plans to protect him no matter what, because she can't deny it anymore, she sees Izuku as her own son. She even ended up putting on a few pounds after his first therapy session. He grew more despondent at first, but eventually opened up to her.

She knows what she has to do.

"Alright. I'll see what I can do. For now, I hope you don't mind waiting a while."

Izuku gave her the brightest smile. "Thank you, Midoriya-san." He bowed his head. "I know that I might be asking too much of you-"

She cut him off. "Oh, not at all Izuku. Even though you're not my real son, I want what's best for you, alright?"

He nodded, smiling. A single tear rolled down his eye.

~~~O~~~


End file.
